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JC2WC becomes Joint Information Operations Center

By Dominick Cardonita
AIA/PA
Kelly AFB, Texas

The Joint Command and Control Warfare Center was redesignated the Joint Information Operations Center and subordinated to the U.S. Space Command during ceremonies at HQ Air Intelligence Agency Oct. 4.

Commanded by Maj. Gen. John R. Baker, who also commands the collocated AIA, the JIOC is composed of about 150 Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps personnel and liaison officers from several allied countries.

Its mission is to provide “full-spectrum” information operations support to combatant commanders throughout the Department of Defense. Baker explained that full-spectrum IO includes the entire range of information operations: operations security, psychological operations, military deception, electronic warfare and destruction as well as the noncombat military applications of information operations. In his remarks Baker explained that since “we’re experiencing such growth in technology and since IO is directly influenced by growth in technology, it’s extremely difficult to keep pace with the latest means of gaining, exploiting, defending and attacking information.

“We must continue our forward momentum in laying a strong foundation that we can build on for years to come, no matter how fast means and capabilities expand,” Baker added.

Gen. Richard Myers, commander-in-chief of U.S. Space Command, presided over the ceremony. In discussing the center’s mission, Myers explained that joint force commanders throughout the Defense Department “know how relevant and critical information operations is to their operations. Its importance and demand is increasing exponentially.

“Our goal at U.S. Space Command is to leverage every bit of expertise resident in the Joint Information Operations Center and continue to push secure, unfettered space and information support to the warfighter,” Meyers said.

Formed as the Joint Electronic Warfare Center some 20 years ago, the name was changed to the JC2WC in 1994 “to reflect the organization’s expanding role in the command and control warfare arena. Prior to that, we were fundamentally focused on electronic warfare,” said U.S. Army Col. David Kirk, JIOC deputy commander.

In recent years, the center has become responsible for developing doctrine and strategy for integrating the traditional pillars of command control warfare with non-traditional C2W operations such as civil affairs, public affairs and computer network attack and defense. Center experts in these areas lend their skills to joint commanders-in-chief’s planning cells so that these warfighting commanders have IO planning integrated into any campaign being considered.

The center deploys augmentation to a commander’s IO cell and can be drawn from across the center’s operations directorate. Each team chief has about 10 people who can be en route to a CINC’s headquarters within 24 hours.

In recent years, the center has supported military operations in Iraq, Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia and Kosovo. They also supported the military relief operations in South and Central America following Hurricane Mitch.